The invention relates to a method for operating a multi-limb manipulator which comprises at least one electric actuator for introducing a relative movement into adjacent manipulator limbs, a control unit for a controlled energy supply to the actuator being assigned to the at least one actuator.
A manipulator which can be controlled by means of the method may for example be designed for handling workpieces or for machining workpieces. Methods for operating multi-limb manipulators are usually designed for handling and/or machining dimensionally stable workpieces, so that, in programming the method for defining the movements of the manipulator, the geometry of the workpiece can be assumed to be constant and is included as a fixed component in the programming process. In contrast to this, when programming a method for defining movements of a manipulator designed for handling and/or machining elastic workpieces which are not dimensionally stable, the variable geometry of the workpiece has to be taken into account, which makes the use of the manipulator for such purposes considerably more difficult. This applies in particular if the actuators of the manipulator do not have any intrinsic elasticity or flexibility, which is known of pneumatic systems in particular. For example, if electric drives are used as actuators for the manipulator, these have a high mechanical rigidity which can cause considerable problems in the handling or machining of elastic workpieces which are not dimensionally stable. According to prior art not published in print, attempts have been made to reduce the mechanical rigidity of the electric drives by means of elastic links and/or measures of control technology. For this, the actuators assigned to the manipulator and determining its spatial position have to be equipped with complex sensor technology, for example with force transducers and/or speed sensors, and controlled by a central unit.